Heavy Hitter / BrawlerTekken 8
Good First Pick

Paul Phoenix

The heavyweight brawler. Tremendous strike power, straightforward inputs, and the iconic Deathfist.

Execution Difficulty:
1/5
Role: Heavy Hitter / Brawler
Paul Phoenix
Image: Paul Phoenix — © Bandai Namco Entertainment — via Tekken Wiki (Fandom) (EDITORIAL)Source

Watch this first

Ten minutes here will save you an evening of guessing.

3 Key Starter Moves

The only 3 buttons you need to drill in Practice Mode to start winning matches.

Move 01
↓↘→+
↓↘→+△. Classic Tekken notation: qcf+2.

Phoenix Smasher (Deathfist)

The hardest-hitting mid strike in fighting games. Use as an enormous whiff punish.

Move 02
↓+,:+
↓+○ then △:□+△. Classic Tekken notation: d+4,2:1+2.

Demolition Man

Lethal close-range low-to-high sweep string that knocks the opponent flat on clean hit.

Move 03
↘+,
↘+□ then □. Classic Tekken notation: df+1,1.

Quick Palm Strike

Safe 14-frame mid poke with a confirmable follow-up punch.

Reading the inputs

Each face button is one limb. Arrows are directions on the stick or D-pad — → is toward your opponent, ← is away (which is also how you block).

□

Left punch

= 1

△

Right punch

= 2

✕

Left kick

= 3

○

Right kick

= 4

The small grey code under each move is classic Tekken notation. It looks cryptic, but it is what every guide, frame-data site and player online uses — worth learning to read so you can follow any tutorial you find.

Ready for the full movelist?

Three moves win you matches; the full list is a few hundred. When you want the rest, these are the resources the Tekken community actually uses. They are independent sites, not ours.

Okizeme.ggMoves & frame dataTekken WikiFull Tekken 8 move listWavu WikiCommunity strategy guide

Full movelist

All 120 of Paul Phoenix's moves, in PlayStation buttons. Names and inputs only — no frame data.

  • Left Jab
    □. Classic Tekken notation: 1.
  • Left Right Combo
    ,
    □ then △. Classic Tekken notation: 1,2.
  • Reverse PDK Combo
    ,
    □ then ○. Classic Tekken notation: 1,4.
  • Half-Step Phoenix Smasher
    +
    □+△. Classic Tekken notation: 1+2.
  • Half-Step Phoenix Smasher (Hold)
    +*
    □+△*. Classic Tekken notation: 1+2*.
  • Burning Fist
    +**
    □+△**. Classic Tekken notation: 1+2**.
  • Ki Charge
    +++
    □+△+✕+○. Classic Tekken notation: 1+2+3+4.
  • Over The Shoulder
    +
    □+✕. Classic Tekken notation: 1+3.
  • Right Jab
    △. Classic Tekken notation: 2.
  • Goodnight
    ,
    △ then ✕. Classic Tekken notation: 2,3.
  • Heat Burst
    +
    △+✕. Classic Tekken notation: 2+3.
  • Shoulder Pop
    +
    △+○. Classic Tekken notation: 2+4.
  • Chest Crusher
    +~←
    △+○~←. Classic Tekken notation: 2+4~b.
  • Left Kick
    ✕. Classic Tekken notation: 3.
  • Piston Fire
    ,
    ✕ then △. Classic Tekken notation: 3,2.
  • Right Kick
    ○. Classic Tekken notation: 4.
  • Double Wing
    ←+,
    ←+□ then △. Classic Tekken notation: b+1,2.
  • Hassou Strike
    ←++
    ←+□+△. Classic Tekken notation: b+1+2.
  • Attack Reversal
    ←++
    ←+□+✕. Classic Tekken notation: b+1+3.
  • Foot Launch
    ←++
    ←+□+○. Classic Tekken notation: b+1+4.
  • Crushing Wind
    ←+,
    ←+△ then □. Classic Tekken notation: b+2,1.
  • Crushing Wind (Hold)
    ←+,*
    ←+△ then □*. Classic Tekken notation: b+2,1*.
  • Lights Out
    ←+
    ←+✕. Classic Tekken notation: b+3.
  • Sway
    ←++
    ←+✕+○. Classic Tekken notation: b+3+4.
  • Leg Sweep
    ←+
    ←+○. Classic Tekken notation: b+4.
  • Reverse Neck Throw
    Back Throw.+
    Back Throw.□+✕. Classic Tekken notation: Back Throw.1+3.
  • Piggyback Throw
    Back Throw.+
    Back Throw.△+○. Classic Tekken notation: Back Throw.2+4.
  • Crouch Dash
    cd
    cd. Classic Tekken notation: cd.
  • Thruster
    CSstance
    CS □. Classic Tekken notation: CS.1.
  • Gunba
    CSstance+
    CS □+△. Classic Tekken notation: CS.1+2.
  • Phoenix Smasher
    CSstance
    CS △. Classic Tekken notation: CS.2.
  • Gengetsu
    CSstance
    CS ✕. Classic Tekken notation: CS.3.
  • Mountain Raze
    CSstance+
    CS ✕+○. Classic Tekken notation: CS.3+4.
  • Sway
    ↓,↙,←
    ↓ then ↙ then ←. Classic Tekken notation: d,db,b.
  • Hammer Punch
    ↓+
    ↓+□. Classic Tekken notation: d+1.
  • Phoenix Smasher
    ↓+,
    ↓+□ then △. Classic Tekken notation: d+1,2.
  • Phoenix Smasher (Hold)
    ↓+,*
    ↓+□ then △*. Classic Tekken notation: d+1,2*.
  • Hang Over
    ↓+,,
    ↓+□ then ○ then △. Classic Tekken notation: d+1,4,2.
  • Shoulder Smash
    ↓++
    ↓+□+△. Classic Tekken notation: d+1+2.
  • Bone Breaker
    ↓+,
    ↓+○ then △. Classic Tekken notation: d+4,2.
  • Demolition Man
    ↓+,,+
    ↓+○ then △ then □+△. Classic Tekken notation: d+4,2,1+2.
  • Demolition Man (Perfect Input)
    ↓+,:+
    ↓+○ then △:□+△. Classic Tekken notation: d+4,2:1+2.
  • Dickjab
    ↙+
    ↙+□. Classic Tekken notation: db+1.
  • Chain Breaker
    ↙++
    ↙+□+△. Classic Tekken notation: db+1+2.
  • Shoot the Moon
    ↙+
    ↙+△. Classic Tekken notation: db+2.
  • Lion's Roar
    ↘+,,
    ↘+□ then □ then △. Classic Tekken notation: df+1,1,2.
  • Kongo Blast
    ↘++
    ↘+□+✕. Classic Tekken notation: df+1+3.
  • Kongo Blast → Phoenix Smasher
    ↘++,↓↘→
    ↘+□+✕ then ↓↘→ △. Classic Tekken notation: df+1+3,qcf+2.
  • Phoenix Smasher (Perfect Input)
    ↘++:qcf+
    ↘+□+✕:qcf+△. Classic Tekken notation: df+1+3:qcf+2.
  • Kurenai
    ↘+
    ↘+△. Classic Tekken notation: df+2.
  • Phoenix Wings
    ↘+,
    ↘+✕ then ○. Classic Tekken notation: df+3,4.
  • Deep Dive
    ↘++
    ↘+✕+○. Classic Tekken notation: df+3+4.
  • Tiger Claw
    ↘+
    ↘+○. Classic Tekken notation: df+4.
  • Deep Dive
    DPD
    DPD. Classic Tekken notation: DPD.
  • Phoenix Axe
    DPDstance↘+
    DPD ↘+□. Classic Tekken notation: DPD.df+1.
  • Quick Petal Strike
    DPDstance↘+,
    DPD ↘+△ then □. Classic Tekken notation: DPD.df+2,1.
  • Quick Lightning Breaker
    DPDstance↘+,
    DPD ↘+△ then ✕. Classic Tekken notation: DPD.df+2,3.
  • Incomplete Somersault
    DPDstance↘++
    DPD ↘+✕+○. Classic Tekken notation: DPD.df+3+4.
  • Eigetsu
    DPDstance↘+
    DPD ↘+○. Classic Tekken notation: DPD.df+4.
  • Turbulent Hammer
    →,→,→+
    → then → then →+△. Classic Tekken notation: f,f,F+2.

Movelist data from Wavu Wiki, an independent community wiki. Inputs are converted to PlayStation buttons by UGL.

Strengths
  • •Highest single-hit damage
  • •Devastating wall combos
  • •Very simple execution
Weaknesses & Counter-Play
  • •Linear attacks can be sidestepped
  • •Average poke speed

Paul Phoenix is one of the most iconic fighters in Tekken history. If you like hitting hard with clean, simple mechanics, Paul is your champion.

Two good hits from Paul can drain half of your opponent's health bar. His wall-splat damage in tournament play is legendary.

Video Guides

Related Masterclasses

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